A New Game
by frozenheartofdarkness
Summary: Asuna has escaped from Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online. But what happens if she finds herself stuck in a new game. Will she be able to escape this time? And more importantly, will she want to.
1. Chapter 1: Dreamlike Reality

I'm new to fanfiction, but i hope you enjoy my first attempt at writing a fanfic. Please review and criticisms are greatly appreciated as well. I have ideas to continue it, but I'm not sure if I will...Depends on if people seem to like it or not.

Dreamlike Reality

Asuna casually walked through the forest, enjoying the cool breeze that blew through the trees, watching the wind catch the leaves and send them lazily floating to the ground. Ever since Kirito had rescued her from Aincrad and Alfheim Online, she'd spent more and more time roaming the forest. She still loved her excursions into Alfheim with her friends and especially being with Kirito and their daughter Yui. Nevertheless, nothing could possibly beat the quiet peacefulness of these afternoons. Asuna settled down beneath a tree with one of her favorite books- Alice in Wonderland. Scarcely 15 minutes later, however, she found herself angrily slamming the book closed. It just wasn't fair. Alice gets the chance to meld together reality and fantasy only to wake up and realize that it was only a dream- a falsely perceived reality. But she comes out of it no worse for wear. In fact, Alice doesn't seem to mind ending the dream because she knows that it's time to return to reality. Why can't that happen in real life, thought Asuna bitterly as she felt tears start slowly trickling down her face as Asuna tried to keep her tears from falling. Asuna knew all too well the pain that she went through trying to reconcile her "realities". She knew the real world, but she also had another world within Alfheim- a world with her family of Kirito and Yui. Kirito was real too, but their daughter Yui only existed in the game. Asuna still had not fully come to terms with the fact that Yui was not really their daughter, because it felt real. She knew that Kirito was bothered by this too from the fact that he had tried to find ways to let Yui see and experience their world that she was not a part of. Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Asuna let go of her sorrows in the quiet solitude that the trees provided. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore. Her sobs eventually subsided and Asuna was left exhausted by her mental anguish. Stretching out on the grass, she slowly let herself drift off into oblivion.

Asuna soon awoke to the sound of a snapping twig and quickly sat up, making her feel slightly disoriented. Combined with the late afternoon shadows and the fact that she had just woken up, she had difficulty forming any reliable or coherent thoughts. However, she could have sworn that there was a white rabbit wearing a vest with a pocket watch and glasses curiously watching her from less than 3 feet away. Hopping closer, Asuna was able to stroke his soft fur and slowly start drifting back to sleep. "You have to follow me", Asuna heard. "What?" she sleepily murmured while briefly opening her eyes. "You have to follow me." Just a few more minutes" yawned Asuna as she once again closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she jolted awake with a start. Who was I talking to, she thought. There's only the bunny here…wait, did he talk. That's impossible, isn't it? "You didn't talk, right?" Asuna asked the rabbit, feeling quite ridiculous as she did so. "Of course I did. Now please…" The rest of what he was saying was drowned out by Asuna's ear-splitting scream. "Please stop, I'm trying to help you" pleaded the bunny. Asuna was no longer screaming, but she was hyperventilating and would have nothing more to do with the bunny. No matter how cute he was. Squeezing her eyes shut, she kept telling herself that this was all a dream that she'd wake up from any second now. It had to be dream-rabbits cannot talk. Period. "You're acting kind of like Alice. Oh well, I guess this is the only way…" Before Asuna even realized what was happening, she found herself held bridal style by an albino (who was dressed just like the bunny) that was running with her through the forest. "Kyaaa! Who are you? Put me down this instant!" screamed Asuna, gripping his shirt tightly in fright. "Hey, it's not nice to yell so loud- my ears are very sensitive, you know. And I'm sorry but I cannot put you down until we arrive", he murmured, lowering his head apologetically. Asuna was about to complain again and force him to set her down when she noticed his ears. He had a pair of fluffy white bunny ears on top of his head. Bunny ears! Thoroughly convinced that she was still dreaming, she didn't complain. At least not until she saw the hole. Not a little hole either- it was a huge neverending crater. "Okay, we're here my love" said the bunny/man. I sweatdropped at the sight. "No. First of all, I am not your love. And second of all, there is no way I will ever willingly go down there. Ever. Now let go of me." she said. His ears drooped at this, making me feel slightly guilty. "I wanted to stay with you longer, but I guess you're rather independent. Fine, I'll let you be, but first take this" he said, handing me a small glass vial with a heart top. "What is this? I don't want it. But ill take it as long as you let me go NOW!" "As you wish" he said before dropping me down the hole and jumping in after me. "By the way, my name is Peter White and I'm the Prime Minister of Heart Castle. You are…?" "My name is Asuna, but you're not going to get the chance to use it. If I ever see you again you're going to die. Flee while you still can." I said, trying to sound threatening. "Alright, I'll let you be. But please reconsider and come to see me" he said forlornly. He then seemed to fall faster and disappear, although I don't know how that's even possible. But he soon vanished from sight. Great, now one problem is gone…but im still falling down this neverending hole. The end should be close…I hope it doesn't hurt too much when I land. That rabbit had better not be there. Without anything better to do, I examine the bottle he gave me and realize it's filled with liquid. Thinking it's probally poisoned, I had just vowed to never drink it when I hit the ground and blacked out, the bottle falling out of my hand.

If I decide to continue this story, you will see Ace very soon... :) In reviews, please let me know what you think should happen to get Asuna to drink the vial...I'm trying to narrow down ideas on this myself... But any comments are fine. Thanks!

**Sneak Preview (written from Asuna's POV)**

"Oh, my head" I moan as I sit up and rub my eyes. Or, I at least try to sit up but there is something on my chest. I open my eyes only to find a brunette asleep with his head on my chest. I try pushing him off only to find his arms are practically keeping me pinned to the ground as well. Poking him doesn't work either, so I guess I'm stuck waiting for him to wake up. In the meantime, I decide to try studying my sleeping companion. He has short brown hair and is wearing a long red coat. His sleeping face is so cute, reminding me of the times I would wake up before Kirito so I could watch him sleep. Without even thinking about it, I start stroking his hair, lost in thought while studying his face. However, unlike with Kirito, looking at my companion's innocent-looking sleeping face makes me wish I had a marker so I could doodle on his face. The thought of drawing a mustache on him makes me laugh, shaking my companion.

There, that's a good enough sneak peak. Review my story if you want me to continue...


	2. Chapter 2: Don't Trust Appearances

**Sorry for the delay…I've had this idea ready but I haven't had the time to type it up until now…I cut this chapter in two so that I could update my story for anyone who's interested in it. As a result, the next update might be a little shorter than the others… I know the last chapter was a little rough, but hopefully this chapter is better - it's all about our favorite directionally challenged freak of nature. ;P**

**Disclaimer: HnKnA and Sword Art Online are not mine. (I wish…)**

***Unless otherwise noted, any sections written in 1st person are from Asuna's POV. Also, anything in italics are their thoughts***

**Chapter 2: Don't Trust Appearances**

"Oh my head," I moan. _That d*** rabbit. I swear if I ever see him again I'll…wait, what is on my chest?_ I open my eyes and find a brunette asleep on me with his head on my chest. _You've got to be kidding me. First, I'm thrown down a hole and now I'm a pillow? What's next? Well, maybe I don't want to know…_

I try pushing him off but he also has his arms around me so he doesn't budge. Shaking or poking him doesn't work either. _Looks like I'm stuck until he wakes up. I wonder how he ended up asleep on me anyways…_

Flashback (Ace's POV)

_Heart Castle should be right here._ I emerge from the trees only to find that they have renovated- the maze of rose bushes is gone. _I only got lost twice…I think that's a new record. Well, on second thought, maybe this isn't the castle- Peter would have already tried shooting me by now._ Just then, I notice that there's a girl collapsed on the ground. _I've never seen her before. Nevertheless, she has a face, and I'm not aware of any new role holders. _I then find a glass vial on the ground. _So, we have another foreigner now. How fun. But she hasn't started the game yet. I guess I'll have to stick around and ensure that she has fun with us too…_ I flip her over and she stays knocked out. _Well, if she's unconscious then she can't push me off like Alice does_

Present (Asuna's POV)

Since I'm stuck for a while, I decide to study my companion. His sleeping face is too cute. It reminds me of when I'd wake up before Kirito in SAO so I could watch him sleep. Almost unconsciously, I begin to stroke his hair, completely lost in thought. However, unlike with Kirito, looking at my companion's innocent-looking face makes me want to take a marker and doodle on him. The thought of drawing a mustache on him makes me laugh, shaking my companion. I think I've woken him up, but he just shifts his head away from me and squeezes me tighter. _He's just like a little kid with a teddy bear- wait, why am I even comparing him to a child. He looks even older than me._ I feel myself blush as I realize I'm letting an older guy sleep on my chest. I get even more flustered when I realize that even though Kirito has done this before, he's younger than me so this is a first.

Unbeknownst to Asuna, he was not asleep and had actually woken up before her. But her heartbeat was calming and once he realized that she was going to let him "sleep", he decided to stay for as long as he could. Now, however, he could hear her heartbeat speeding up irregularly as she became flustered. He grinned as he felt her trying to push him off again. _Well, I guess it's time to "wake up" now… _

Yawning, he stretched and slowly sat up. He then looked down and faked an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry; I guess I fell asleep, huh? It was a very peaceful nap though." He chuckled as he watched the girl's blush deepen. "My names Ace and I'm the Knight of Hearts."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Asuna," I said with a smile as I stood up. But my smile soon faltered when I saw that Ace had the glass vial in his hand.

"Hey, what's wrong? Is it something I said?" asked Ace, his face betraying his honest confusion.

I immediately felt guilty, so I walked over to give him a hug. "I'm sorry, it's not you. I'm just mad at this rabbit that kidnapped me, dropped me down a hole and gave me that vial. I have the feeling that it's poisoned…"

"Bunny? Oh, you must mean the PM. No, it's not poisoned if he gave it to you. If it was for me he probably would try to poison it, but not for anyone else." He said cheerfully with a laugh and a huge grin on his face.

_How can he be so cheerful while discussing someone trying to kill him? It's probably best if I ignore it… _"Well that's nice to know. But I'm still not interested in drinking it."

Ace's eyes seem to harden, but it's gone so quickly I must have imagined it. "So can you tell me more about this place before this dream ends? Although it feels so real…like it's not a dream at all…"

"Well, it is real. And we're in Wonderland!"

"Wonderland? You mean like Alice in Wonderland where Alice ends up in Wonderland in a dream and later leaves when she wakes up at the end?" _Actually, that would make sense. Peter would be the White Rabbit and Ace perfectly fits as the Knave of Hearts…_

"What are you talking about? Alice is still here. This isn't that book that Alice loves to read. This is really Wonderland. If you want, I can give you a tour of Wonderland. We can start with visiting Alice at Clover Tower."

"Really? That would be great!"

We set off down the path but Ace soon turns off into the trees. "Um, Ace… where are you going? Shouldn't we stay on the path?"

"Huh, but this is a short-cut. We'll be at Clover Tower in no time," Ace cheerfully called back.

"Oh, okay. Lead on then." We'd only been walking for what felt like 15 minutes when it suddenly went from midday to night.

"What just happened?" I cry, latching onto Ace.

"What's wrong? It just changed time periods."

"But it's not supposed to change like that!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Alice said it's not like that in your world. Well, here, the time changes randomly."

"Well, I don't think I'll get used to that…wait. What do you mean my world?

"Well, you and Alice are foreigners because you're not from Wonderland. Anyways, looks like we get to camp here for the night. It'll be too easy to get lost at night." He suddenly starts setting up a tent…Wait, _where did the tent come from?_

_I think I've learned something very important- everything about this dream is random and nothing seems to make sense._

"Hey Ace, you don't happen to have another tent handy do you?"

"Nope- but we don't need one. This one is plenty big enough. So come on. Let's go inside and sleep."

"Oh, um okay…" _I don't want to share a tent! This is soo awkward._ Once inside, he hands me a sleeping bag and proceeds to remove his sword and boots. I take off my shoes and lay down on top of the sleeping bag, trying to process exactly what has happened to me.

"Hey Ace, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Well, I still don't quite understand it yet, but I'm starting to think that this isn't just a dream anymore. Even though I distinctly remember a talking rabbit that turned into an albino with bunny ears. I know that's impossible except in games, but it doesn't feel like a dream at all…it's actually quite similar to when I was trapped inside this game. In it, it felt like you were alive and like you were actually moving and it felt so real, even though weird impossible things happened then too. But it was all in your head controlling everything. Well, this is kind of like that, but even more realistic- I mean I'm still sore and I've got bruises from being dropped down that hole. So…how am I supposed to get back home?"

"You want to go back already? But you just got here? Besides, it's not like you even have to leave. Alice decided not to. You can just live here too…"

"No I can't. I'll at least visit Alice, but then I have to go back…" Before I can even finish my thought, I find myself pinned to the ground by Ace, whose eyes are even colder than I've ever seen.

"I forgot to mention, since you are a foreigner, you haven't played the game yet" he said, pulling out the glass vial again.

"What game Ace? And I told you, nothing will make me drink whatever is in that vial."

"Really, well that's too bad. If you're not going to play our game, then I have no use for you. Maybe I should just kill you now- I've always wondered what it would be like to kill a foreigner. I've thought of killing Alice before, but I decided not to anymore-since she's staying in Wonderland. I think it would help quench my need to kill if I'm able to feel the lifeblood as it's slowly drained from your body. So what do you think? Will you drink it? Or do I get to kill you," he asks, placing his hand on his sword's hilt.

I can barely breathe; I'm so paralyzed with fear. "What? You wouldn't…"

"Yes I would. I hate being stuck in this game and forced into this role while you and Alice are able to make your own choices. So I'm not about to let you escape so soon. I'm going to make sure you feel as trapped as I do. You're going to drink that vial."

I open my mouth to plead and try to reason with him, but I see him start unsheathing his sword.

"Alright, I'll drink it!" I cry, quickly draining the vial with tears starting to flow down my face. Ace notices the tears and smiles while he wipes them off with his gloved fingers before kissing my forehead.

"What was that? You son of a …"

"Ah ah ah. That's not language befitting of a young lady. Besides, that wasn't so hard was it? Welcome to the game Asuna."

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try to have the next installment up on Thursday. If I get some reviews, it might give me some incentive to get chapters up sooner. ;P**


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